The T5 Q&a Thread

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13974342#post13974342 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rtparty
Grim,

Do you have any pictures of where a fan should be located to maximize the usage of the lights?

No I don't. Just dug through pics on 2 different computers looking.

I assume you are talking about retro fits. I suggest blowing a fan in from the back down the row of endcaps on each side because it is so easy to over cool the lamps by blowing the fan directly on the lamp tubes.Slight air movement past the lamp ends does the best job. In reality you only need to cool the label end of the lamps but unless you can have the air directed right on to each lamp that doesn't work well. Having the two fans will give enough overall air movement to do a decent job of cooling the lamps.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13975019#post13975019 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jfl14609
anything from geissman I am going for heavy 14k look

They have an Aquaflora lamp out that might do the trick. I havent seen one yet but I understand they are a pinkish lamp.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13975203#post13975203 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BucNtears
Grim, does my bulb setup look ok. I'm looking for a blueish tint.

thanks

The mix looks fine. You might try slipping the Aquasun in if you arent satisfied with the color. I'd try it in place of the Pro Color and Fiji Purle then one of the other lamps.

 

[yellowslayer13]

will two of those light the 60 cube well

 

[zachtos]

I've had problems with my icecap660 ballasts running 12 - 36" T5s (ati bluplus / blu special) . The bulbs over the year and a half have constantly been cracking at the ends. I have 10 - 80mm PC fans blowing on the lights. The lights sit about 8" from the water surface, there is no cover/shield. The lights do get moist from humidity when lights go out. I can't determine what has caused all these failures. I lose 1 bulb / month on average from cracking, and I try to replace them once/year but it's hard to keep track with all the constant failures. The hood is a wood box w/ open ends and the fans blow across the bulbs ends on both sides.

Has anyone else had issue w/ retrofits failing frequently? I applaud you for helping me pick bulbs, I'll post a quick photo to show you how my pure only t5 tank has developed.

tank mostly lighted w/ 10 ati blu plus and 2 ati blue special

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13976107#post13976107 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by yellowslayer13
will two of those light the 60 cube well

Should do good

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13976441#post13976441 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zachtos
I've had problems with my icecap660 ballasts running 12 - 36" T5s (ati bluplus / blu special) . The bulbs over the year and a half have constantly been cracking at the ends. I have 10 - 80mm PC fans blowing on the lights. The lights sit about 8" from the water surface, there is no cover/shield. The lights do get moist from humidity when lights go out. I can't determine what has caused all these failures. I lose 1 bulb / month on average from cracking, and I try to replace them once/year but it's hard to keep track with all the constant failures. The hood is a wood box w/ open ends and the fans blow across the bulbs ends on both sides.

Has anyone else had issue w/ retrofits failing frequently? I applaud you for helping me pick bulbs, I'll post a quick photo to show you how my pure only t5 tank has developed.

tank mostly lighted w/ 10 ati blu plus and 2 ati blue special

Nice tank! PITA Problem!

Do the fans draw air in from outside the canopy? As long as things are well vented the only other thing I can think of is if the lamps are fitted too tightly between the endcaps.

 

[Todd March]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13975627#post13975627 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
They have an Aquaflora lamp out that might do the trick. I havent seen one yet but I understand they are a pinkish lamp.

Greg at Reefgeek showed me an Aquaflora half illuminated by a low wattage device (that he uses to test all bulbs shipped out). Granted it wasn't fully fired up, let alone burned in, but just going by this half-a** comparison, the Aquaflora is a very light pastel pink, much lighter than the Fiji Purple which is more pink with a purple tinge fired up on the same device. I was curious as they both have red-blue spectrums.

 

[zachtos]

</a> by The Grim Reefer
Nice tank! PITA Problem!

Do the fans draw air in from outside the canopy? As long as things are well vented the only other thing I can think of is if the lamps are fitted too tightly between the endcaps.

Hmm... the lights are on spring loaded endcaps, they could be too tight, but when I called icecap, they told me to make sure they are tight? Is it that sensitve?

The fans are set up so they blow across the bulbs perpendicular and pull outside air in and blow towards eachtother and the airstreams meet in the middle. I have tried lots of configurations for air cooling. The bulbs are quite hot to the touch and can burn you if left there too long... is it worth buying an infared probe just to check the temps?

 

[rtparty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13975605#post13975605 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
No I don't. Just dug through pics on 2 different computers looking.

I assume you are talking about retro fits. I suggest blowing a fan in from the back down the row of endcaps on each side because it is so easy to over cool the lamps by blowing the fan directly on the lamp tubes.Slight air movement past the lamp ends does the best job. In reality you only need to cool the label end of the lamps but unless you can have the air directed right on to each lamp that doesn't work well. Having the two fans will give enough overall air movement to do a decent job of cooling the lamps.

Alright I will see what I can do. Thanks so much Grim!

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13977153#post13977153 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zachtos
Hmm... the lights are on spring loaded endcaps, they could be too tight, but when I called icecap, they told me to make sure they are tight? Is it that sensitve?

The fans are set up so they blow across the bulbs perpendicular and pull outside air in and blow towards eachtother and the airstreams meet in the middle. I have tried lots of configurations for air cooling. The bulbs are quite hot to the touch and can burn you if left there too long... is it worth buying an infared probe just to check the temps?

You can get the infrared pyrometers pretty cheap. Might be worth it.

You just want the lamps tight enough they dont fit sloppy between the endcaps. If they are too tight as the lamp heats up and expands it could very well crack them if there isn't room for expansion.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13977061#post13977061 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Todd March
Greg at Reefgeek showed me an Aquaflora half illuminated by a low wattage device (that he uses to test all bulbs shipped out). Granted it wasn't fully fired up, let alone burned in, but just going by this half-a** comparison, the Aquaflora is a very light pastel pink, much lighter than the Fiji Purple which is more pink with a purple tinge fired up on the same device. I was curious as they both have red-blue spectrums.

I will have to order some lamps pretty soon. I'll have to grab one of the floras to check out.

 

[jedheuer]

Hey Grim,

With regard to coling t5's is it important to cool the entire hood they are enclosed in or just the "cool point" near the manufacture stamp? Would it be better to place a fan blowing across the entire bank of bulbs on the stamped end or have one blowing across the entire length of the bulbs?

Thanks!

 

[The Grim Reefer]

If you can cool the whole hood its better because that keeps the ballasts cool as well.

 

[tsiebel]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13967658#post13967658 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
If you use the single braced tank get 2 250 halides in larger reflectors. The dual braced tank works great with 3 halides. Stick with 14K halide lamps and do a row of T5 actinics in front of the halides and a Row of Blue T5's behind the halide. With 14K halides you aren't trying to wash out any yellow so two rows of T5's will work.

14K 250 halides shouldn't be overkill at all as long as they aren't HQI's.

When you say HQI's is that a brand? I thought HQI was metal halide

 

[tsiebel]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13979402#post13979402 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tsiebel
When you say HQI's is that a brand? I thought HQI was metal halide

Ok I found out what the differance is. Hqi is double ended correct? What is bad about hqi?

 

[timespinner]

Just curious what the recommended distance from the water surface to the T5 fixture is? My tank has both SPS and zoas, and is exactly 24" deep.

 

[snaza]

Quick question for you grim,

i:m running a 7 bulb IC retro on my 120. i have fans blowing in from the back which SLIGHTLY helps PAR output. I put my apogee sensor on the cross brace just above water level and i get 700. If a hook up another fan blowing in from the front (directly at the sensor) the par increases to 850. Because cool air is blowing on the sensor is that giving me false readings?

thanks

 

[Todd March]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13979475#post13979475 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tsiebel
Ok I found out what the differance is. Hqi is double ended correct? What is bad about hqi?

Yes, double ended halides are HQI, but HQI really refers to European spec lamps that run at much higher wattages and much brighter intensities, and does include some single ended lamps (such as the popular 250W Radium SE). What Grim was referring to is that if the 14K halides are HQI (single or double ended) they may overpower the T5's with the higher PAR that HQI lamps offer...

(In Europe it's very unusual to hear halides referred to as "halides", generally they use the phrase, "HQI". So one would say, "I made the change from HQI's to T5's and it's much bluer". When double ended bulbs become popular here, many Americans started to link the "HQI" phrase to double ended bulbs, and while this is correct, it's important to remember that HQI is actually referring to the running specs [as in ballast specifications] for a lamp, rather than it's connecting end or ends. While double ended bulbs are almost always HQI spec, the phraseology "HQI" does not refer to double ended bulbs exclusively. )

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13979475#post13979475 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tsiebel
Ok I found out what the differance is. Hqi is double ended correct? What is bad about hqi?

HQI aka double ended halides are great which can be the problem. They have a hell of a lot of output assumming you run them on the Magnetic HQI ballast. Thats what I meant about the halides not being overkill unless they were HQI which is easier to type than double ended. I think HQI is actually a brand of lamps in Europe but it gets attached to double ended lamps here.